After meeting us at the school for the Read Aloud Day, the new children's librarian at our public library called today to ask if we would like to give a presentation in July on Newfoundland Dogs! She was so impressed by The Count's behavior, calm disposition, and of course, good looks. We are so thrilled to be able to visit the kids and to tell about this magnificent breed.
When I first had Orion trained for entrance into the Pet Partners program with the Delta Society, I visted the children's librarian which had recently been hired. As I am a fixture at our library and my kids grew up participating in the programs presented by the chilren's past librarians, I was eager to let our new one know we'd be happy to offer our services (I've also taught origami to the children for many years there). She was one of those who asks a question then answers it herself, and she didn't even take my number. I also offered my origami skills, but she wasn't interested in that either. She had her own, different way, in which she wanted to do all the programs herself, and I respected that. It is her choice, afterall. A few weeks later when I visited to check out some books, she scolded me for not bringing my library card (well, everything is computerized, so they just type in my name, I don't even know where my card is). I visted the library every week for close to twelve years, so everyone there really knows me! I'm not exactly a kid, and I really don't care to be scolded by someone younger than me for something as trivial as my library card, so I found her a bit annoying. Whenever I visited, I tried to avoid her since she always had something to say which I found impolite, or if I asked someone a question, she'd answer from across the room (plus, I never brought my library card). For the next three years I rarely visted the library. So when I read we had a new children's librarian, I returned. She is a sweet, soft-spoken, very polite lady, perfect for a children's librarian. She has some great ideas for programs where she is once again getting the community involved in the programs, which I think is great.
Plus, she doesn't ask me for my library card.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Orion visits the school (by Mom)
I received a call from a dear friend of mine. She had been asked to read to a second grade class for the annual "Read Aloud Day" where community members are invited to read to the elementary classes. As a former teacher she loves children and is great with them. But unfortunately, she had just been diagnosed with pneumonia, and would not be able to attend. Might I be able to fill in for her? Absolutely! I ran to the school and left a note for the teacher whose class I'd be reading to: Could I bring Orion? She called me later that evening and said she'd be delighted to have him visit.
The next day we arrived bright and early, all brushed out, clean ruff, chili bandana tied around his neck, and his bright blue "pack-pack" on his back, which was stuffed with treats, some books about newfs, and a T/Y gift for the teacher and class. We didn't go directly to the class, but instead were invited to a breakfast with the other readers while the kids went to their classes and tended to their morning routines. While visiting with the other readers, I had the opportunity to introduce Orion the both the librarian and the children's new librarian at our public library (which I visit weekly, but they had not actually met The Count). He also met several other big dog owners (who did not have dogs with them), so he could give sloppy kisses to people who appreciated them.
Next, we were given a fourth grade escort to take us to our class, who was smitten with His Highness. While walking past other classes, we could hear kids saying, "What was that?!" "I just saw a horse go by!" "Holy cow, did you see THAT?!" Then we arrived at our class, and the kids were stunned, then delighted. They all sat on the reading rug, and Orion lay by my side as I read, "I saw an Ant in the Parking Lot", an amusing, rhyming book perfect for kids to listen to (it would have been in my home library had it been published when mine were little). Following the reading, I told the kids a bit about Newfoundland dogs, then had them each take turns feeding Orion a home-made seaweed cookie. They were very amused to find dogs like seaweed, carrots, and green beans. Orion was on his best behavior. Next, several of the kids shared their pet stories with me, which I always love. Then it was time to go, so we said our goodbyes, and Orion and I left the way we came.
Once we reached the top of the stairs we met a teacher out in the hall with a couple of her students. Not just any teacher, but a fourth-grade, big-dog loving teacher! She and her students had to come get newfie lovin's which caused the other studnets to come to the door to find out why the teacher was taking so long, which menat her class started filtering into the hallway. I asked if I could bring Orion into her class, and so we all went in, to the delight of her students. I told them about newfs, and walked around the class giving each studnet a turn to pet him, then he lay down on the floor and they all came over to cuddle with him. By the time we were done and left that room, then spoke with several other teachers in the hallways on our way out, we had been there for two hours! Orion was in his element; lots of fans, lots of little kids, lots of faces to kiss, lots of treats, it doesn't get any better than that for a newf.
The next day we arrived bright and early, all brushed out, clean ruff, chili bandana tied around his neck, and his bright blue "pack-pack" on his back, which was stuffed with treats, some books about newfs, and a T/Y gift for the teacher and class. We didn't go directly to the class, but instead were invited to a breakfast with the other readers while the kids went to their classes and tended to their morning routines. While visiting with the other readers, I had the opportunity to introduce Orion the both the librarian and the children's new librarian at our public library (which I visit weekly, but they had not actually met The Count). He also met several other big dog owners (who did not have dogs with them), so he could give sloppy kisses to people who appreciated them.
Next, we were given a fourth grade escort to take us to our class, who was smitten with His Highness. While walking past other classes, we could hear kids saying, "What was that?!" "I just saw a horse go by!" "Holy cow, did you see THAT?!" Then we arrived at our class, and the kids were stunned, then delighted. They all sat on the reading rug, and Orion lay by my side as I read, "I saw an Ant in the Parking Lot", an amusing, rhyming book perfect for kids to listen to (it would have been in my home library had it been published when mine were little). Following the reading, I told the kids a bit about Newfoundland dogs, then had them each take turns feeding Orion a home-made seaweed cookie. They were very amused to find dogs like seaweed, carrots, and green beans. Orion was on his best behavior. Next, several of the kids shared their pet stories with me, which I always love. Then it was time to go, so we said our goodbyes, and Orion and I left the way we came.
Once we reached the top of the stairs we met a teacher out in the hall with a couple of her students. Not just any teacher, but a fourth-grade, big-dog loving teacher! She and her students had to come get newfie lovin's which caused the other studnets to come to the door to find out why the teacher was taking so long, which menat her class started filtering into the hallway. I asked if I could bring Orion into her class, and so we all went in, to the delight of her students. I told them about newfs, and walked around the class giving each studnet a turn to pet him, then he lay down on the floor and they all came over to cuddle with him. By the time we were done and left that room, then spoke with several other teachers in the hallways on our way out, we had been there for two hours! Orion was in his element; lots of fans, lots of little kids, lots of faces to kiss, lots of treats, it doesn't get any better than that for a newf.
One busy Newf
Gee, it's been a long Winter. I have been pretty much lying around, slugging by the fire, holding down the carpet, and leaving puddles of drool as I wait for Spring to arrive. With Spring, we can resume our walkies, you see. I LIVE for our walkies. So you can imagine my excitement when Mom loaded me in the car the day the kiddos missed the bus. I figured she'd just take them to school, but instead she drove right past our house after depositing them at their assigned places. Where was she going so early in the morning? Is that her turn signal I hear???? I jumped up from my spot in the back of the car, cuz I knew what the turn signal at that particular spot meant: A walkie!! I started bouncing around the car (shaking it, Mom said) and wimpering with delight. When she opened the door, I shot out at full speed. It had been months since I'd last been here, and all those smells, all those rocks, all those trees, and that was just next to the parking lot. When I noticed two other cars in the lot, I knew who they belonged to, so I ran as fast as I could to see my human friends and their doggers. They were all happy to see me, and I, them. The trail was perfect (perfectly ICY!) so Mom walked very slowly to enjoy the scenery. She has since taken me back, it's less icy now but much, much more wet, which is even better, though Mom is thinking she'd prefer it a little drier. Don't understand why she doesn't like to get her feet wet, it is so much fun to slop in the mud. Especially since I had just visited the beatuy parlor, and you know how dull it is to be clean.
So Spring is here, the crucus are blooming, the sun is warming things up. Life is just delicious!
So Spring is here, the crucus are blooming, the sun is warming things up. Life is just delicious!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Games
Orion has a few games he likes to play, and we thought we would share them with our friends. These are in addition to the traditional games of "Chase the Kitty" and "Chase the little Girl".
The first is a hide game we call "Hide the Bone" although the "bone" can be a toy, stuffie, towel, cookie, anything he wants to play the game with. First, I give him the "bone" and he walks into the livingroom, sniffing and looking for just the right place to "hide" it. After several trips around the room, he will place it in its hiding spot (usually in plain sight, can't make it too hard on the humans). Then he sits by the sofa. If we don't notice he has hid the toy, he will let out a loud "sigh" to get our attention. Then, I'll say, "Where's your bone?" and he will keep his head very still and move only his eyes in the direction of his toy(I'm not supposed to notice, but it's funny that he does this). Then I make a big show of searching for the bone until I find it. Upon finding it I take it into the next room and "hide" it, coming back empty-handed. He then runs into that room to search for it, and re-hides it in the livingroom for me to find. This is HIS favorite game and he will play for an hour.
Another game we enjoy (which is MY favorite game)is the "Yawn" game. Orion has a tendancy to let everyone know when he yawns. The variety of noises he makes is very entertaining. So we will go lie down on the floor next to him and loudly yawn. He lifts his head and, since yawns are contagious, he loudly yawns back. Then we will either go around the room, with each person loudly yawning and the newf yawning back, or, if it's just the two of us, we'll go back and forth until he "Woooo-woooo-woooooo"s at me. This never fails to send me into a fit of giggles.
The last game is our own version of Monty Python's Fish Slapping Dance, only we use a cooked green bean. Very, very funny.
The first is a hide game we call "Hide the Bone" although the "bone" can be a toy, stuffie, towel, cookie, anything he wants to play the game with. First, I give him the "bone" and he walks into the livingroom, sniffing and looking for just the right place to "hide" it. After several trips around the room, he will place it in its hiding spot (usually in plain sight, can't make it too hard on the humans). Then he sits by the sofa. If we don't notice he has hid the toy, he will let out a loud "sigh" to get our attention. Then, I'll say, "Where's your bone?" and he will keep his head very still and move only his eyes in the direction of his toy(I'm not supposed to notice, but it's funny that he does this). Then I make a big show of searching for the bone until I find it. Upon finding it I take it into the next room and "hide" it, coming back empty-handed. He then runs into that room to search for it, and re-hides it in the livingroom for me to find. This is HIS favorite game and he will play for an hour.
Another game we enjoy (which is MY favorite game)is the "Yawn" game. Orion has a tendancy to let everyone know when he yawns. The variety of noises he makes is very entertaining. So we will go lie down on the floor next to him and loudly yawn. He lifts his head and, since yawns are contagious, he loudly yawns back. Then we will either go around the room, with each person loudly yawning and the newf yawning back, or, if it's just the two of us, we'll go back and forth until he "Woooo-woooo-woooooo"s at me. This never fails to send me into a fit of giggles.
The last game is our own version of Monty Python's Fish Slapping Dance, only we use a cooked green bean. Very, very funny.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Wet's Gone Wild
Wet has taken a liking to his reflection, and can be found at all times of day and night playing with the kitty on the other side of the door. We finally caught him on tape, this guy is a maniac cat!
You can see him here (until I get it to upload on the blog)
Wet's Gone Wild
You can see him here (until I get it to upload on the blog)
Wet's Gone Wild
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Count Drulzelot's New Year Resolutions
One of my fellow Newf-Listers posted her dogger's ten resolutions which prompted Orion to come up with a few of his own:
I will not lick people's faces right after cleaning my...oh, never mind, I broke that one this morning.
I will NOT chase kitties. I will NOT chase kitties. I will NO...Oh look! A KEEETTTTTTYYYYY!
I will not tear up Mom's magazines before she finishes reading them.
I will greet each of my people first thing in the morning when I get up. I had, up to this point, only greeted Mom and Dad. This very morning I opened the doors to the rooms of each of my kids and smooched them on the face. They all said their own versions of Happy New Year to me, and I liked it so much I shall continue on a daily basis. (Note from Mom, they screamed bloody murder as they were all still sleeping when he "greeted" them.)
I will sniff both ends of the kitty.
Orion Count Drulzelot
Musings
Happy 2008, I hope your year is filled with too many blessings to count!
I had a good semster, earned As in the two courses I took (Psychology and Geography). Both very interesting classes, though I really loved the Psychology. We spent some time on the brain, which, of course, is my favorite topic, as well as sleep and the importance of a good night's, development, and much, much more, all of it so fascinating. So now I have a bit of a rest before my next class, Anthropology. I may only take one this term, with The Nationals coming up, and posiibly hosting a foreign exchange student, plus gardening season, etc., I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. I wish they offered Winter semester courses (accelerated 18 day classes), as January is the month to pretty much stay in and curl up with a book. It was -4 when I took the kids to school this morning, so The Count did not get his walkie this morning. Instead I will be making an appt for his yearly check-up, and Wet's first visit to the Vet.
Enjoy your day!
I had a good semster, earned As in the two courses I took (Psychology and Geography). Both very interesting classes, though I really loved the Psychology. We spent some time on the brain, which, of course, is my favorite topic, as well as sleep and the importance of a good night's, development, and much, much more, all of it so fascinating. So now I have a bit of a rest before my next class, Anthropology. I may only take one this term, with The Nationals coming up, and posiibly hosting a foreign exchange student, plus gardening season, etc., I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. I wish they offered Winter semester courses (accelerated 18 day classes), as January is the month to pretty much stay in and curl up with a book. It was -4 when I took the kids to school this morning, so The Count did not get his walkie this morning. Instead I will be making an appt for his yearly check-up, and Wet's first visit to the Vet.
Enjoy your day!
Introducing Wet
Although he has been a part of the family for a few months now, I've been too busy to even read any of my friends' blogs, let alone update my own. So now I have a few weeks' lull between classes and decided to introduce the world to Orion's new buddy, partner-in-crime, and confidante, Count Drulzelot's Aquarius, aka "Wet". For those who have read older posts about Orion's favorite stuffy, you know where we came up with Wet's name.
Wet is very confident, playful, and cuddly. He cuddles with Orion, always wants to be in a lap (like Orion), eats from The Count's dish (even with The Count's snoot in it), and bathes in the dog's waterbowl. He's fearless, which is not hard to be when you grow up around a huge, black Newf, but is "skeered" of anything that moves outside (which makes him run at the door, body-slamming it to get in). Overall, he is a very entertaining addition to the family, although Oscar puts up with him, and Sophia will not demonstrate even an ounce of tolerance for him in the presence of others (though they are both sleeping on my bed right now, thinking no one else knows).
Friday, August 10, 2007
I'm back!
Sorry about the delay, but as the saying goes, "Life comes at you!" Things are slowing down here, and as you can see, I've even had some time to mucky-muck with the format here (I don't know if I'll keep this format, we shall wait and see). Next week I will be working on a website (for a school) so I have a bit of time to play.
Reading the paper today I saw an article about burglaries in the neighboring town (which is less than a mile from me), and it reminded me of an incident which happened about 6 weeks ago.
The Count sleeps in our room with us. He rarely barks, unless he's playing with the kitties or with me. So we were surprised one night when Orion woke us by jumping to his feet and barking. We jumped out of bed, I thought he had seen a firefly out the window and it startled him, but he was very agitated. Once we were out of bed, Orion ran to the stairs, with Hubber in pursuit, and as soon as Hub opened the door, Orion shot out, racing through the yard and into the neighbor's field, all the while barking furiously. Whoever (or whatever) it was can consider himself very lucky, as Orion was fierce and furious. I've never seen him like that before. I ran around the house turning on all the lights and Hub flashed lights outside, but never found anything. Orion came back to the house, still very agitated, and spent time outdoors patrolling the house, then he came back in and patrolled the inside. It took some time for him to settle down. I am sure glad we have him, he's a super watchdog!
Reading the paper today I saw an article about burglaries in the neighboring town (which is less than a mile from me), and it reminded me of an incident which happened about 6 weeks ago.
The Count sleeps in our room with us. He rarely barks, unless he's playing with the kitties or with me. So we were surprised one night when Orion woke us by jumping to his feet and barking. We jumped out of bed, I thought he had seen a firefly out the window and it startled him, but he was very agitated. Once we were out of bed, Orion ran to the stairs, with Hubber in pursuit, and as soon as Hub opened the door, Orion shot out, racing through the yard and into the neighbor's field, all the while barking furiously. Whoever (or whatever) it was can consider himself very lucky, as Orion was fierce and furious. I've never seen him like that before. I ran around the house turning on all the lights and Hub flashed lights outside, but never found anything. Orion came back to the house, still very agitated, and spent time outdoors patrolling the house, then he came back in and patrolled the inside. It took some time for him to settle down. I am sure glad we have him, he's a super watchdog!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
I've been tagged!
That's right folks, I'm IT! I always wanted to be IT, IT is what I AM....
Anyway, Mom has been very busy so she allowed me to come here and give my update. Mom decided to take three accelerated courses this summer, all online. Instead of 18 weeks, each course is 18 days. So she has a week's worth of work to do each day. I guess she did not have the ol' brain in the cavity the day she signed up for them, because she took two at the same time. So she has neglected all her housework, ironing, blog updates, and cooking for the pursuit of knowledge. So please forgive her for not updating and keeping everyone axiously awaiting a new update. At least she still can't resist the sight of a Newf sitting in front of her with a stuffie in his mouth. I am the only thing that can get her away from her studies! She promised to update my blog with some new fancy, smancy stuff when she is done with these courses, vacation, and catching up on her laundry. So life has been very dull here, except all my kids are home from school, so that does change the dynamics here a bit.
Now, on to the game of tag.
I've been tagged by Ayla, a Newfie friend of mine!
Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog post with their 7 things as well as these rules. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. Remember to leave a comment for them letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog.
Here are my random facts:
1. I love to have my ears rubbed, I groan with pleasure.
2. I love to chase woodchucks, they look like fat kitties when they run!
3. I think pugs are funny; when my cousin pug comes to visit, he thinks he's bigger than I!
4. I love Brussels Sprouts.
5. After I drink, I like to use a napkin. Laps make excellent napkins.
6. I love to go for rides. Going to Grandma and Grandad's house is one of my favorites.
7. They love me at Petco. When I go, they announce my presence over the loudspeaker so the employees can come give me some lovin's.
Now I get to tag 7 of my doggie buds, this will be FUN!
1. My cousins, Nanook and Pooka
2. My good friends, Tank, Isaac, and Princess
3.Kodos who needs an update!
4. Mollie and Zander, whose Momma makes the best dog cookies, which I love, love, love!
I only have time to tag four, since Mum needs to get back on the com-futer. I will have to think up some more and get back to ya.
Later dudes and dudettes!
Anyway, Mom has been very busy so she allowed me to come here and give my update. Mom decided to take three accelerated courses this summer, all online. Instead of 18 weeks, each course is 18 days. So she has a week's worth of work to do each day. I guess she did not have the ol' brain in the cavity the day she signed up for them, because she took two at the same time. So she has neglected all her housework, ironing, blog updates, and cooking for the pursuit of knowledge. So please forgive her for not updating and keeping everyone axiously awaiting a new update. At least she still can't resist the sight of a Newf sitting in front of her with a stuffie in his mouth. I am the only thing that can get her away from her studies! She promised to update my blog with some new fancy, smancy stuff when she is done with these courses, vacation, and catching up on her laundry. So life has been very dull here, except all my kids are home from school, so that does change the dynamics here a bit.
Now, on to the game of tag.
I've been tagged by Ayla, a Newfie friend of mine!
Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog post with their 7 things as well as these rules. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. Remember to leave a comment for them letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog.
Here are my random facts:
1. I love to have my ears rubbed, I groan with pleasure.
2. I love to chase woodchucks, they look like fat kitties when they run!
3. I think pugs are funny; when my cousin pug comes to visit, he thinks he's bigger than I!
4. I love Brussels Sprouts.
5. After I drink, I like to use a napkin. Laps make excellent napkins.
6. I love to go for rides. Going to Grandma and Grandad's house is one of my favorites.
7. They love me at Petco. When I go, they announce my presence over the loudspeaker so the employees can come give me some lovin's.
Now I get to tag 7 of my doggie buds, this will be FUN!
1. My cousins, Nanook and Pooka
2. My good friends, Tank, Isaac, and Princess
3.Kodos who needs an update!
4. Mollie and Zander, whose Momma makes the best dog cookies, which I love, love, love!
I only have time to tag four, since Mum needs to get back on the com-futer. I will have to think up some more and get back to ya.
Later dudes and dudettes!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Meatball!
The other day, Orion went with me to get the newspaper, when we found a delightful treat in the box, a meatball! Our next door neighbor made special doggie meatballs for her doggie, Anabelle, and shared her bounty with The Count. I let him sniff the bag, and he knew something very special would be his for breakfast. He was so thrilled, he forgot the newspaper and ran down to the house without it! He was dancing around the kitchen as I prepared the meatball to mix into his kibble. He greedily devoured the meatball, leaving the kibble in his dish. For Orion to greedily devour anything is quite a shock, he is extremely selective about what he ingests.
I was very pleased to have found something which made him eager to eat, so I asked my dear neighbor to share the recipe, which she enthusiatically did. I made up a batch of these delicious meatballs, which contained shredded carrots and cheese, and eagerly awaited their cooking so I could share them with my newf. I waited until they were cool enough, and crumbled one into his bowl. He didn't touch it. Not even a bite.
Now, I doubled the batch when I made them so I had a huge bunch of these meatballs which His Highness has decided he wouldn't eat. Hmmm. I served them for dinner with pasta. The hubber and kids thought they were delicious. Maybe The Count will only eat them with pasta and sauce.....
I was very pleased to have found something which made him eager to eat, so I asked my dear neighbor to share the recipe, which she enthusiatically did. I made up a batch of these delicious meatballs, which contained shredded carrots and cheese, and eagerly awaited their cooking so I could share them with my newf. I waited until they were cool enough, and crumbled one into his bowl. He didn't touch it. Not even a bite.
Now, I doubled the batch when I made them so I had a huge bunch of these meatballs which His Highness has decided he wouldn't eat. Hmmm. I served them for dinner with pasta. The hubber and kids thought they were delicious. Maybe The Count will only eat them with pasta and sauce.....
Monday, April 09, 2007
No Known Drawbacks
At one of my painting groups, we were discussing how to paint dogs. A friend brought in some books, and I copied the picture of the Newfoundland dog. Along with the picture was a write-up about the breed, which I had to bring home to show The Hubber.
First, the person who did the write-up and the picture had only a vague idea of what Newfoundlands look like. Other than being black (which some are)and having a fat fluffy tail (as The Count does) not much else in the picture was accurate. The color description said they come in "dull black and white with a black head and saddle." Orion is a very shiny black. No mention of the greys or browns. The part which struck me the most were the feet. The dog's feet in the picture (which was a painting)looked like chicken feet. Okay, not literally, but I can assure you, no dog of this size could walk on those front paws. They looked like skinny, lab puppy feet on a full-grown newf. Newfs have paddle-paws. The front feet on Orion can be confused with a club. Trust me, I've been batted by one while he was stretching.
The next thing I found amusing is the comparison picture. In order to demonstrate the massive size of the breed, a silouette of a newf is standing next to the silouette of an airdale. The airdale comes up to the newf's armpits. The airdale could walk underneath the newf without ducking, according to the author of this book. Holy cow, that is one massive dog. Mine is not so massive, I've not yet met an airdale who could walk underneath him.
It gets even better in the written description!
Advantages of the breed:
"Good guard dog" If you can wake one, he might sniff you. If he's already awake, he might follow you to the door to greet "his" guests. Anyone who comes to the door could only be there to see HIM. Oh yeah, good guard dog, right.
"Fierce when provoked" You'd have to do a mighty lot of provoking. I think most folk would get tired before he'd get provoked. I guess if you provoke him with a stick he will fiercely chase it. Then again, he may not.
"Good swimmer" This he is. He's also good at trying to drown people while rescuing them from knee deep water. He's just doing his job.
"Good with animals" Unless the animal is a kitty. Or a squirrel, which looks kinda like a kitty.
"Good with children" The breed is very good with children. Orion is especially good at removing munchkins from unsuspecting children's fingers. Saves the kiddies from a life of ill-effects caused by jelly-filled donut holes. Taking good care of kids is his primary responsibility.
The very best part of all, though, is that part which lists the disadvantages:
"No known drawbacks of this breed."
First, the person who did the write-up and the picture had only a vague idea of what Newfoundlands look like. Other than being black (which some are)and having a fat fluffy tail (as The Count does) not much else in the picture was accurate. The color description said they come in "dull black and white with a black head and saddle." Orion is a very shiny black. No mention of the greys or browns. The part which struck me the most were the feet. The dog's feet in the picture (which was a painting)looked like chicken feet. Okay, not literally, but I can assure you, no dog of this size could walk on those front paws. They looked like skinny, lab puppy feet on a full-grown newf. Newfs have paddle-paws. The front feet on Orion can be confused with a club. Trust me, I've been batted by one while he was stretching.
The next thing I found amusing is the comparison picture. In order to demonstrate the massive size of the breed, a silouette of a newf is standing next to the silouette of an airdale. The airdale comes up to the newf's armpits. The airdale could walk underneath the newf without ducking, according to the author of this book. Holy cow, that is one massive dog. Mine is not so massive, I've not yet met an airdale who could walk underneath him.
It gets even better in the written description!
Advantages of the breed:
"Good guard dog" If you can wake one, he might sniff you. If he's already awake, he might follow you to the door to greet "his" guests. Anyone who comes to the door could only be there to see HIM. Oh yeah, good guard dog, right.
"Fierce when provoked" You'd have to do a mighty lot of provoking. I think most folk would get tired before he'd get provoked. I guess if you provoke him with a stick he will fiercely chase it. Then again, he may not.
"Good swimmer" This he is. He's also good at trying to drown people while rescuing them from knee deep water. He's just doing his job.
"Good with animals" Unless the animal is a kitty. Or a squirrel, which looks kinda like a kitty.
"Good with children" The breed is very good with children. Orion is especially good at removing munchkins from unsuspecting children's fingers. Saves the kiddies from a life of ill-effects caused by jelly-filled donut holes. Taking good care of kids is his primary responsibility.
The very best part of all, though, is that part which lists the disadvantages:
"No known drawbacks of this breed."
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